Long Blockchain, the former beverage company-turned-blockchain firm, was hit with a subpoena from the SEC, according to statements filed by the company on Wednesday.

Long Blockchain is cooperating with the authorities in regards to the matter, reports from Bloomberg indicate. According to the company, which formerly specialized in iced-tea drinks, the SEC filed the subpoena on July 10 in hopes of obtaining a series of documents related to the firm.

For the Nassau County-based company, this is the next in a series of woes which includes a delisting of the company’s stock by Nasdaq. Formerly named Long Island Iced Tea Corp., the company has seen its value drop roughly $ 65 million since December. This leaves the company with a market value of roughly $ 5 million. Read more...

eMusic, a supporter of independent artists and labels since 1998, has announced a $ 70M token sale to build a decentralized music distribution and royalty management system. eMusic is planning a public pre-sale for its eMusic utility token (EMU) beginning in September 2018, with a token generation event (TGE) immediately following.

For over 20 years, eMusic has served 47 million fans, in discovering new music, artists and labels, selling nearly one billion downloads from a catalogue of over 26 million tracks. By embracing blockchain, eMusic will develop a sustainable music ecosystem for artists, service providers and the fans that support them. eMusic’s mission is to correct an imbalanced music industry by building a fair, simple and transparent music distribution platform for artists and service providers. Read more...

The Australian government will provide a AUD$ 2.25 million grant to an initiative that seeks to use blockchain technology to develop transparency in the sugar industry. Known as the Sustainable Sugar Project, it will be used to prove the origins of the sugarcane used and the sustainability of farms. This will give consumers confidence in the sugar they consume, especially in the wake of recent counterfeits. Australia’s sugar industry is one of the country’s most important industries, and once implemented, the initiative will mark a huge step forward for blockchain technology.Read more...

129-year old Northern Trust has long been a stalwart in the financial services world. Now, the company is turning its eyes to the future and is working on projects that incorporate blockchain and cryptocurrency.

Headquartered in Chicago Illinois, Northern Trust has been working with different clients, including corporations and institutional investors, for more than a century. Currently, Northern Trust has offices across the United States and in 23 different countries. As of June 30, assets under management totaled more than $ 1 trillion dollars.

Now the financial services entity is opening itself up to blockchain and cryptocurrencies by involving the nascent technology across a variety of new projects. Read more...

Imagine a new digital economy, one that allows everyday people to take full control of their personal data. Complete with a public chain for data transactions and application development, this system would foster a trustworthy, domain-wide data exchange that capitalizes on the torrent of advancements taking place through blockchain technology.

A rapidly growing enterprise known as GXChain is on a steady course toward achieving this milestone. Launched in 2017 and led by a technical team in China, the company has a value proposition that is predicated on the safe, credible, efficient and free exchange of data to maximize its use and value. Read more...

Nine banking giants are taking part in an app store trial for programs which are based on distributed ledger technology (DLT), further showcasing their interest towards the field and validating its merits.

Financial Newsreported on July 27 that LedgerConnect, the lovechild project of foreign exchange processing giant CLS and tech mogul IBM, is in trials. Major banking giants are already lining up to test it out.

Bridge Between New and Existing Technologies

LedgerConnect attempts to provide a comprehensive platform in order to further incentivize banks to take advantage of blockchain projects. The project is designated to deliver easy access to blockchain-based solutions which deal with Know Your Customer (KYC), and anti-money laundering regulations. Read more...

International trade, people without identity and financial exclusion are global development areas that stand to be radically improved with blockchain technology, according to Michelle Chivunga, regional advisor for the British Blockchain Association.

“I’m quite keen to help people in understanding what the potential of blockchain is,” said Chivunga in an interview withBitcoin Magazine. “And at the same time I’m also quite passionate and I’ve done quite a bit of work and involvement with women’s economic empowerment programmes, working with different groups from UN women to the World Bank and a whole range of other organizations.” Read more...

Canada’s first blockchain and digital currency event and marketing firm, Untraceable Inc., announced in a press release CoinReport received from Wachsman, Untraceable’s communications firm, the addition of renowned American TV host and GEAR Blockchain board member Larry King and Dash CEO Ryan Taylor…